Buckle



Patented at. 9. 1940,

""BUo' LI: I Malkon .Chadirjian and Oscar Chadirjian,

aGorona, Y.

Application June;5, 1937, Serial-Nof,146tl66 o ;3Claims. (oral-1'63) m:

Our invention relates to a buckle particularly 3. adapted for useas a fabric-covered buckle for clothing. v

- Buckles for use on garmentsof all kinds. are

now'frequently covered with fabric, either to.

match or contrast with the fabric of thepar ticular garmentwith which the buckle is'used. Heretofore the covering of buckles has been either a slow operation or hasreduired comparatively expensive machines. Some buck les, have been covered by wrapping a strip, of fabric about the frame, but such an operation ,is

Y tedious and the finished appearance of the'buckle f rather expensive dies and dies fit only one size and shape of buckle. Since i covered with fabric without the use of expensive is not'always satisfactory. Buckle-s have also been fabric-covered by the operationof applying apieceof fabric thereto and clampingthe same in' place. Such operation ordinarily requires buckles are or may be of innumerable desirable shapes, the method heretofore employed for ,CQV-r ering the buckles is not universally applicable or L 5 is not universally satisfactory.

It is the principal object of our invention to provide a buckle which may be quickly and easily tools or other paraphernalia.

It is another object to provide" a buckle, the

frame of which may be easily covered with a preformed continuous tube of fabric. I

provide an improved It is another object to buckle which may be readily covered with' fabric and which is cheap to manufacture, easy to as. semble, neat-in appearance and serviceable;

Other objects and various features'of invention will be hereinafter pointed out or will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

In the drawing which shows, for illustrativev purposes only, a preferred formof the inven-[ tion- I Fig. 1 is a face view of a complete, covered buckle illustrating features of the invention;

Fig. Zis a sectional View taken substantiallyin the plane-of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the buckle frame shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is an isometric fragmentary View of a continuous fabric tube to be applied to the frame of Fig. 3;

to be attached to the buckle frame; and

Fig. 6 is a similar view of a modified form of chape.

Inxsaid drawing?) indicates generally a frame with fabric o therstrap to the buckle. the ends of the strip forminglthe frame at points 4 adjacent the division areprovided with means, such as apertures-8-8, and theside ofthe-frame which, in g ene ral."

opposite the division is provided. with means, such vided with corresponding tongues or projections i D for engagement with. the apertures Iii-4 I. When i the frame and chape are to chape is shortened, for example, to the extent indicated in Fig. 5, and the the'buckle frame.

hold the chape in its elongated position. Fig. 5 is an isometric view of one form of chape buckle herein illustrated. The frame 5 may be formed of any suitable material, either metallic. 1

. or nonmetallic, .but ispreferably formed of some light material of the type'of Celluloid. As stated,

the frame is preferably or piece of material and the'ends 6-'l of the stripv are brought together preferably into abutting formed of a single. strip relationship with each other,.so as to form 811L310 substantially 'eontinuousibuckle frame.

The parts. of the frame adjacent the division aresecured together preferably by 'me'ans' of the buckle chape employedfor securing the belt or,

In the form illustrated as apertures Iii-H. said apertures being inter-" --engageable with suitable parts-on the chape.

The-chape illustrated in Fig. :5 is relatively extensible oneand may comprise a stripv of metal or other suitable material l2, slidable relatively to another strip I3. The strip [3 may have sides M-M bent and extending over. the strip [2-,

so that'the two strips are slidably or telescopically engaged with each other. The strip 12 may have an upstanding flange Hi to" prevent disen- 4 gagementof the parts Iii-J3 from each other and the strip 13 may be provided with a bendable tongue I6 which, when the chape is fully extended, may be bent over behind the flange 85,

' as will be clear from Fig. 2, so as toprevent col- 7 lapse or shortening of the chape after application to the buckle frame, as will .be described.

Thechape strip 121s provided with tongues or projections l1; engageable with the apertures frame 5. The chape strip I3 is probe assembled the projections l'll1.are interengaged with the apertures 8- 9-48-4 I of The chape is then elongated by sliding the two parts 12-13 relatively to each other and the tongue It then bent over, so as to" It'will be noted that the projections HH are "L of somewhat cam formation,so that the two ends 6- 1 of the frame arecammedto-ward each other when the chape is elongated and the frame thus securely held together.

The chape shown in Fig.6 is of spring material, 5

either metallic or non-metallic, and comprises a single strip I8 of about the length of the properly elongated chape shown in Fig. 5. The strip I8 is provided with tongues or projections H, the same as in the form previously described. When the chape I8 is to be applied to the buckle the chape is flexed, so as to shorten the same, and the tongues engaged with the apertures 89.| -4 I, after which the resilience of the chape will straighten out the latter and cause the frame to be held rigidly, as heretofore described.

The principal utility of a buckle formed as herein described is that it may be readily covered by a continuous tube of fabric, illustrated in Fig. 4. A tube of fabric l9 may be readily made on a sewing machine and then turned inside out, so as to provide a perfectly smooth exterior. The fabric from which the tube: lilis made is preferably cut on the bias, so that its diameter may be decreased by pulling on the tube and thus cause the same to snugly fit the buckle frame.

When the buckle is to be covered with a tube of fabric I 9 the ends 6l are relatively separated or displaced from each other, such separation or displacement being permitted by the resiliency or give of the material of which the buckle frame is made. The tube I9 is then slipped over one end of the buckle frame and worked completely around the frame and over the opposite end adjacent the division. The tube may then be pulled so as to provide a very snug fit of the latter on the frame and the ends of the tube brought together and, if desired, tied or stitched to each other and the surplus cut off. The chape is then applied to the buckle frame, as heretofore described, and of course the projections or teeth I 'l pierce the fabric of the tube 59 and, in drawing the parts of the buckle adjacent the division toward each other, the fabric is quite effectively clamped and a serviceable covered buckle produced.

It will of course be understood that when the buckle is applied to a belt the chape will be cov ered by the end of the belt, which is ordinarily folded over and sewed about the chape. If desired, of course a buckle tongue may be applied to either of the chapes shown.

It will be seen that we have provided a buckle which is cheap to manufactureand which may be assembledwith the chape by a person of practically no skill. But little skill is required to provide a serviceable, very neat appearing covered buckle and the buckle frame may be used indefinitely and covered with different fabric tubes.

It will also be observed that the buckle itself may be made of ornamental form and the surface ornamented so that it may be used without covering but the great utility of our improved buckle is that it may be so readily converted into a covered buckle without tools or other expensive paraphernalia. While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred form it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim: 1. A buckle, comprising a frame, and-a twopart telescopic chape engageable with opposite sides of said frame, for the purpose described.

2. A buckle, comprising a continuous strip of material of frame form, the ends of said strip lying closely adjacent each other, a continuous tube of fabric snugly fitting said frame, the ends of said tube of fabric being brought together adjacent the ends of said strip forming said frame, and, an attachable chape having means penetrating said fabric tube and engageable with said frame ends for securing said ends of said strip forming said frame together and for holding said fabric tube in place.

3. A buckle, comprising a frame having a divisionat one side, a tube of fabric fitting over said frame, the ends of said tube of fabric being brought together adjacent the division in said frame, and means for mechanically holding the parts of said buckle and the ends of said tube adjacent said division together.

MALKON CHADIRJ IAN OSCAR CHADIRJIAN. 

